Combined suspenders and belt.



PATENTBD APR. v19, 1904.

Q S. L. BNGEL.

COMBINED SUSPENDERS AND BELT.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1903.

I0 IODEL.

Inventor fik/fiaa ZZZ 2Q Witnesses Attbmcy RIIIS PETERS co. momumov, WASHINOYON. o. c

Patented April 19, 1904. 1

PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN L. ENGEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED SUSPENDERS AND BELT.

CPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,899, dated April 19, 1904. Application filed September 14, 1903. Serial No. 173,170. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN L.ENGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Suspenders and Belt; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the 1 art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a combination article of wear designed to be converted at will for use as a body-belt or suspenders.

The object of the invention is to provide an article of wear of this character which is simple, durable, and inexpensive and which may be readily converted for use as suspenders or as a belt without the necessity of applying or removing any parts, but merely by the adjustment of parts forming permanent members of the article.

To this end the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,'Figure 1 is a perspective view of the article as arranged for use as suspenders. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the same as converted for use as a belt. Fig. 3 is a section through the coupled ends of the belt; and Fig. 4 is a front view of one of the ends of the belt, partially broken away to show the mode of connection of the Suspender-ends to the coupling.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a body-band, to the intermediate portion of which are attached the back-straps or rear suspender-pieces 2, adapted when in use to be crossed and project downward, as in Fig. 1, and when not in use to fold so as to extend in opposite directions and lie against the inner side of the body-band, as shown in Fig. 2. These pieces 2 are provided at their free ends with buttonholes 3 for attachment to the buttons on the rear portion of the waistband of trousers.

Each end of the band or strap 1 is formed into a loop 4: and carries an ordinary front Suspender-end 5. The loop is formed by first passing the band through parallel slots 6 and 7 in a buckle-slide 8 and repassing the end of the hand through slot 7, so as to lie between the sides 9 and 10 of theloop. In the present instance the ends of the bands are shown provided with loopshaped holders 11 for the ends 5.

Slidably engaging each loop 4 is a coupling 12, comprising a rectangular plate having a cross-bar 13 and slots or spaces 14: and 15 on opposite sides of said bar. The outer end of the coupling carries a hook 12, while the inner end has projecting tongues 16, which extend into the space 15. The Suspender-ends 5 are provided with the usual buttonhole-slits 12, which when the Suspender-ends are drawn between the sides of the loops 4 in the conversion of the device from suspenders to a belt permit the branches of said ends 5 to be connected to said tongues, (see Figs. 3 and 1,) whereby the suspender-ends will be held retained within the loops. The hooks 12 of the couplings adapt the two couplings to be connected to form a belt, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

By reference to Fig. 1, which shows the article as arranged for use as suspenders, it will be observed thatthe couplings 12 are disconnected from each other and the suspenderends 5 are disconnected from the hooks 12' of said couplings and that the couplings are free on the loops, while the Suspender-ends project beyond the ends of said loops for connection with the buttons at the front of the trousers. The rear straps or suspender-ends 2 are also crossed and project downward for attachment to the buttons at the rear of the trousers. By means of the slides 8 the loops 4 may be lengthened or shortened and the ends 5 thus adjusted for use.

In converting the article from a pair of suspenders to a belt the slides 8 are adjusted to make the band of proper length to go around the body, after which the suspender-ends 5, which are drawn by such adjustment of the slides-into the loops 4, (see Fig. 2,) are connected to the couplings 12 in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and finally the rear straps 2 are, as shown in Fig. 2, folded in the construction and mode of operation of my invention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that it provides an article which may be quickly and conveniently converted for use as suspenders or a belt without-the necessity of applying or removing any parts,

' but simply by the adjustment of, the elements forming the permanent members of the article.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of' nesses.

this invention. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An article of the character described,

comprising a band provided with rear straps, slides through which the ends of the band are passed to formloops, coupling-pieces upon said loops, and Suspender-ends upon the ends of said band adapted to be engaged with holding means on said coupling-pieces and confined within the loops, substantially as described.

2. An article of the character described, comprising a band provided with rear straps adapted to fold parallel therewith, slides through which the ends of the band are passed to form loops, coupling devices upon said'loops, and Suspender-ends connected to the ends of the band within the loops and adapted to be attached to said coupling de' vices, the slides having means for connecting the ends of the rear straps thereto when said straps are folded parallel with the band, substantially as described. r

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand'in presence of two subscribing wit- STEPHEN L. ENGEL. Witnesses:

LOUIS KOESTER, JOHN H. HENOKEL. 

